Gem's Choice
by annabeth10269
Summary: Hazel is lost. Everyone is trying to leave the war and get on with their lives to escape the trauma . Closure was all everyone wanted. No one realized some things would be hard to let go of and leave behind. So many things came out of the Doors of Death, and Thanatos has had trouble collecting all escaped souls. But one soul slipped through his fingers that will change everything.
1. A choice is made

Hi GUYS!

I know I should probably be getting onto my other story, but this was stuck in my head and I couldn't get it out.

"The Mistake" should be updated by next week (hopefully, high school loves to mess with my life)

I hope you guys like it! Please please, always remember to review and tell me what you think and how I can make things better, I wouldn't write without feedback!

Now, last thing: I definitely almost never do percabeth, even though I ship it. I mean, they are cute and everything, but sooo many people do it that it's just... Ugh!

This would have been a Thalico but I thought it would be way too OOC, (even thought this is ooc and AU, but... let's ignore that, shall we?

**Disclaimers and Summary: **

**I do not, and will not, ever own PJATO, or the HOO Series. I love them but, that's never gonna happen *holds back sob***

**Summary: After the war- Everyone is trying to leave the war and get on with their lives to escape the trauma . Closure was all everyone wanted. All except one. No one realized some things would be hard to let go of and leave behind. So many things came out of the Doors of Death, and Thanatos has had trouble collecting all escaped souls. But one slipped through his fingers. One soul will come back that will rock Hazel's world. What will be her choice? **

**Warning: This is OOC, at the first few chapters at least. A little frank bashing, but not really. **

**Leave a review please! I want to know how I'm doing. **

**I AM A PAGE BREAK! HEAR ME ROAR! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

**Hazel's POV**

Silence. Silence was all that could be heard. It wasn't the regular silence that filled the pauses in talking, or the quiet that delicately blanketed the bedroom of a sleeping child. It was the silence, the stillness that choked all in the presence of it. It was the soundless screams that made its victims flinch. It was the silence that encompassed all silences, much more than a simple result of a _shut up._

No one spoke as the thuds and cries of the war ended. No one moved after the last blows of celestial bronze and Imperial Gold swords and daggers left the golden dust of giants' remains in our shoes. It was all over, a weight was supposed to be lifted from my shoulders, from the shoulders of all the war-weary demigods. But the silence pressed down.

The gods (meaning Apollo) healed our injuries, and soon left for Olympus, and flashed us to the empire state building.

None of us, -the seven- spoke as we walked the elegant path of Olympus to the throne room. The nymphs, the muses, even the minor gods and goddesses stared unabashedly at us. Our clothes were tattered, our faces scratched, our hearts open, our minds distant. We slowly trudged to the Olympian throne room, where the gods told us to wait.

I looked at my fellow quest members. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase had hands linked together in a vice-like grip. Their faces were weary, and the light twinkle that used to reside in Percy's eyes, the twinkle that I was used to, was gone. The eyes that used to be full of mirth and wittiness no one saw had been quenched with a grave seriousness that seemed to be plastered to his face. After they got back from Tartarus, they weren't the same, and depended on each other for everything. They never left each other's sight, and they resembled scared lost puppies. It saddened me to see my good friends like this, and I briefly remembered back when we were joking on the Argo 2, but the memories came with great pain, the reminder of _him _with us, before _he _died... I looked away from them and focused on Piper McLean and Jason.

Even though Piper still looked beautiful, I could see what was wrong. Her kaleidoscope eyes were red-rimmed and distant, like they were journeying away from her body. She looked dead on her feet, and clung to Jason like he was a life raft in the middle of the ocean. Jason didn't look much better. His Roman confidence and leadership had been replaced by a shield of vulnerability. He tried to hide it with the same confidence that seemed to radiate from him before the war, but his cover-up wasn't working. Even the greatest could fall. Jason held one arm around Piper's waist, and his idle hand shook slightly at his side. His hand didn't shake with determination, but an unsteady trepidation, nerves pouring out slowly from the war, and the constant Roman need to save emotions for later.

I wrenched my eyes from them and turned to Leo Valdez. His happy demeanor that I was accustomed with was gone, and replaced with a stable nervousness. Although he was quiet, his hands still twitched at his side, just how they used to when he had his hands in his pockets, fiddling with bolts and screws. He was so happy back then, with his hair full of grease and his mouth always running. He still reminded me of Sammy, so so much. Even now, after all we've been through, I can still see Sammy in him. After all, he is Sammy's Great-grandson. I finally rested my eyes on the person I was most confused about.

Frank walked, or more like stumbled, forward at the back of our clustered group. His eyes were fixated on the floor, and his feet shuffled on the mosaic tiles. My feelings for him had grown exponentially. I knew he was there for me, like I was there for him. His stick still resided in my coat pocket. I could honestly say I loved him now, even if I was only 14. I looked at him for a long moment, and finally his chocolate brown eyes caught mine. His brown eyes were so heavily burdened with grief and distress, like he was holding an invisible weight that he could not shake off. I wanted to make him feel better, to comfort him, to bring his out of his deep thoughts that were guarded from the world, but I didn't know how. His brown eyes were filled with distrust, but I didn't know with what, or how. He turned away and began looking onward again, back straight and expression unreadable.

Before I knew it, we reached the throne room. I had never seen it before, and with the mood in the air I didn't enjoy the majesty that is Olympus. The throne room was huge, and was ornate with Greek columns, and sculpted animals in the walls. Looking closer, I realized these were the sacred animals of every Olympian. Doves flew with owls and eagles, and horses, peacocks, and boars trotted below. The actual thrones reflected their Personalities and domains of power. Zeus and Hera's thrones had similar traits, but they were both different, with Zeus having thunder and Hera Married couples, lotuses, and peacocks. The rest of the gods were all different in thrones. All the thrones looked comfortable in their own ways, but none of the gods were slouching in them, not even Apollo or Hermes.

The gods faces remained stoic, but their eyes showed intense worry and anxiety. Even Zeus's eyes held a bit of nervousness, especially on our parents, respectively.

We were all in the center of the gods, and 13 eyes bore into us. Hestia, seeing our appearance and attitudes, kept quiet and turned to the hearth. Hades' eyes bore through me.

Zeus spoke up. "We are here to honor the seven demigods who valiantly led all our children in battle and victory."

I had a feeling this would happen. The gods were trying to reward us for serving in a battle that left us with scarring memories. When I heard Percy first turned down godhood, I was amazed, but now I know why.

"Your parents and the rest of the council have come to a decision. " He paused, dramatically, as if he were telling a secret. "We have decided to offer you all godhood, if you will accept it" He shot a quick glance at Percy.

He continued. "Your parents have also given you each a separate gift for your service. They will now give you your two gifts."

"Jason Grace, son of Jupiter. Will you accept godhood?"

Jason, at that moment, looked like a cloud that had drifted too far from its home. Looking towards the ground, he twitched, as if tasered, and croaked, "Sure."

Zeus smiled softly. "My gift to you, son, is this lightning bolt. Use it well." Zeus tossed an electric blue bolt to Jason, who surprisingly caught it.

The council laid their hands on Jason, and he began to glow. The glow subsided, and Jason was taller and had gained muscle.

The gods said in unison, "All Had Jason Grace, god of air currents, clouds, and courage." We all bowed in respect. He stepped back and grabbed Pipers hand.

Aphrodite-Piper's mom- spoke up next. "Dearest Piper, will you accept godhood?" She looked like she already knew the answer, and her mascara was running a little from an escaped tear. She had a smile on her face.

Piper said quietly, "Yes" Venu-Aphrodite already knew and walked over, giving her a hug.

They went through the same process for Piper, and she became the goddess of Compassion, Devotion, and trust.

"My gift to you, Piper, Is an immortal dove." A white majestic bird flew in from the window and rested on Piper's outstretched hand.

"Leo, will you become a god?" Hephaestus's voice rumbled like storm clouds over the throne room.

Leo was fiddling with some nuts and bolts in his hands, and said, "I can't" quieter than I ever heard him. I was so confused. Why wouldn't he go with his best friends? Piper and Jason looked shocked. Piper grabbed Jason's hand a little tighter.

"Well," Hephaestus stroked his beard. "My gift to you is a forge, it's located where your mom's tool shop used to be. Only you and the people you want in can access it, and its indestructible. "

Leo's eyes were shining. His whispered, "Thank you," seemed to speak volumes to Hephaestus.

"No problem, my boy."

"Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase," Athena and Poseidon both spoke. All gods were alert now, and the two heroes stood in front of their respective parent.

"We understand that you will not accept godhood without Annabeth," Poseidon said to Percy.

Athena started. "Not only do we fully accept your dating,"

Poseidon finished her sentence. "We are willing to give you a shared palace and put you on the Olympian Council."

They finished together. "Will you accept immortality?"

Percy and Annabeth looked at each other. I could see years of love, battle, and fear flash through their eyes. They had already answered without even talking.

They linked hands again, and said, "No."

Athena and Poseidon looked only a little shocked, but nodded.

"Annabeth, my gifts to you are these scrolls. They are blueprints from Daedalus. Use them wisely." Annabeth accepted then silently, and gave her mother a small thank you.

"Perseus, my gift to you is in your room at your mother's house. It will make sense once you get there. And also" Poseidon gave Percy a blue envelope. "Read this later."

Percy nodded and thanked his dad.

"Hazel Levesque, Daughter of Pluto." I feared this moment. I walked up to Pluto slowly.

"Daughter, will you be immortal?" Pluto never went for small talk, or endearments. I couldn't help but think of how _he _felt when talking to Hades.

I thought for a moment. I was already displaced in time. Would I really want to be displaced for all eternity?

I looked up into Hades' black eyes and said, "No sir, I can't live eternity like this." He looked down at me, and I saw a flicker of worry pass over his face. In a second, it was gone.

Hades nodded, and said, "My first gift to you is lifting your curse, you will be able to summon jewels, but they won't kill the others who touch it."

I was relieved. With how nervous and jumpy I'd been lately, gems had been popping up everywhere.

"My second gift to you is a saddle made of indestructible metals for Arion." A pitch-black saddle appeared from nowhere. Surprisingly, it was light and felt soft under my fingers.

"Thank you, sir."

"Call me father." A rare smile flitted across his face.

I stepped back and stood next to Frank. I needed him to look at me, to acknowledge me, or even smile. He glanced at me from his peripheral vision, and then looked on.

"Last but not least, Frank Zhang, son of Mars." Ares almost sounded solemn.

Frank stepped up. I could hear a bit of smug satisfaction in Ares' voice.

"Will you accept godhood?"

I knew he wouldn't. It wasn't like him to. All the gods made him nervous, especially his father. My heart was pounding now because I was so in love with him that even him thinking of godhood made me want to cry.

So you can imagine my heart stopped when I heard him say yes.

**A/N Done! Now hit those little review buttons and tell me what you think!**


	2. A choice breaks hearts

**A/N Oh. My. Gosh. I didn't expect people to actually review this, or even look at this. This is my second fanfic, so I just want to say thank you to everyone who read!**

**To anyone who read/reads The Mistake: I am sooo sorry I haven't updated. This story took over my mind for quite a while. **

**Nobody- Thanks for reviewing! I'll try to update as soon as I can. **

**ArtemisApollo97-I honestly cannot believe you reviewed this. I absolutely love your stories! Thanks a bunch =) **

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE **

_Flashback: 1 year ago _

"_You can do it Hazel, just focus."_

_We were on top of the Pluto cabin, and it was one of the rare times that he would go on the roof littered with jewels and bones. _

"_Let's see what you can do." _

_I sat there uneasily, and a jewel popped up by my feet like a hatched chick. _

Jadeite, _I thought absently. _

_He stood there, looking at me with clear expectation. "I know you can. I wouldn't have come up here if I believed otherwise."_

_I shook my head. "I can't. It's never worked for me before." _

_He looked at me exasperatedly. "Look, if you think about it, it's only a couple of scattered bones. It's like putting a puzzle together, only different." _

_At first, I was creeped out by the thought of putting dead broken things back to life, like the scary dolls in the pictures that they showed today. _

_I looked at him hard then. His expression was unreadable, and his eyes were solely trained on me. No one knew we were up here, and I seriously doubted anyone cared. _

_I focused on the bones below me. They were all strewn haphazardly in a cluttered pile. _

'_It's only pile of scattered bones.' I thought, and I focused._

_It was five minutes of sheer concentration before I heard a noise. _

_Pop! Fizz! Crackle! Ssssss. _

_I opened my eyes in alarm. It was a small hamster, pawing at the ground with skeletal miniscule fingers. I smiled. It was _cute_, in a really creepy way. It then crumbled back to scattered bones. _

_He smirked. "Looks like you forgot something." He prodded a tiny skeletal leg with his foot. _

_I rolled my eyes at him. Holding my hand out and focusing, I made sure all the pieces were in place. The little hamster was back, skipping and trotting around. I looked at it with admiration._

_He then said, "I knew you could do it, Haze. Just remember, you can solve any problem by thinking of all the pieces and putting it together, like a puzzle." _

_I felt so happy at that moment that I sprung up and hugged him. _

_He stiffened, as if he was hurt, but I knew he was just unused to the contact. He slowly put his arms around me. _

"_Thanks Nico." _

I felt my eyes slowly open and I noticed I was in a white room. It was very simply decorated, with high windows to look at all of Olympus and some Greek floral designs on the ceiling.

I felt so tired, and the back of my head had started a steady throb. My legs felt rusty and I just wanted to rest for another 100 years. I briefly noticed I was dirty and in a white hospital gown. It felt strange.

The bed that I was in was small but comfortable. There was a TV hanging on the wall opposite the bed. It was then I noticed the heart rate monitor and the IV in my arm.

As I sat up, a guy around his early twenties walked in. He looked like a model, with sky blue eyes, high cheekbones, and sunglasses perched on his head.

He noticed I was awake, and hurried over. His simple jeans and a t-shirt outfit was replaced with a doctors coat and a stethoscope. He quickly scanned over the monitors, then smiled at me.

"Heart rate seems normal, eyes look fine, no infections, and no physical injuries except the head. How do you feel, Hazel?" His blue eyes studied my face.

I tried to form a coherent sentence, but all I could get out was, "Whaaa?"

He nodded, as if my answer made perfect sense. "You fainted and hit your head after the son of Ares-sorry, Mars- became a god. You've only been out for two and a half hours. I checked you over, and you were super tired and exhausted like the rest of the heroes, but you had gained a nasty concussion, which should be clearing up by now with the nectar IV. But how are you feeling?"

I wish he would just talk slowly. He was waiting for an answer, so I said, "My head…still hurts, but I feel a bit better."

"That's good. That's good. I'm pretty sure you can leave in a half hour or so. The others haven't left yet. Normally I wouldn't let you go, but it looks like you could use it. Just try not to work yourself up too much, no training, and stay out of really bright sunlight for a day." He smirked as if there was a hidden joke.

I was suddenly hit with all that had happened today. The war ending, the gifts, me turning down godhood, Frank accepting it. My heart clenched tight as I thought of Frank choosing godhood over me. We were there for each other ever since he got to Camp Jupiter, and even closer ever since he trusted me with his highly flammable stick. The stick…

I was suddenly panicking. "Have you seen my coat? I have something really important in there."

Apollo raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Aphrodite told me to leave your coat on the chair over there, but the rest of your clothes were too damaged to be salvaged. Don't worry, Artemis changed your clothes. Not me."

I blushed madly, but I felt so much gratitude to this man. "Thank you lord…"

"Apollo. Just call me Apollo. Aphrodite left some clothes for you, and there's a shower in the bathroom. See you in the Throne room." He gave me a sad smile, and left the room.

I waited a little until my head pounding had subsided somewhat, and headed for the bathroom.

It felt good to have a shower, even though it took me a little while to figure out how to work it. The shower was equipped with nice smelling soap and fluffy towels. I tried not to stay in there too long.

When I came out of the bathroom, I saw a pair of blue jean britche-sorry, _shorts_-, a thin black long sleeved shirt with a gem on it, and a belt to hold my sword in. They were neatly folded on the bed. Normally, I would have protested against the shorts (which were really short, in my opinion) but I was so tired that I didn't protest. I slipped on the clothes that surprisingly fit me, grabbed my coat and sword, and left the room.

In my dazed state, I had forgotten to ask Apollo where to go, so when I exited, I tried to find my way through the hallways as best I could. It was like there was a mini labyrinth in there.

I finally found the exit, thanks to a minor god who gave me directions. The godly hospital was only a little distance away from the throne room. Shielding my eyes from the light, I trudged to the throne room.

Once I got there, I could see the rest of my friends talking to their parents. Piper and Jason looked brighter as they spoke with Zeus and Aphrodite. Jason's eyes seemed to almost contain electricity in the pupils, and Piper radiated with an aura of beauty. They had all changed into clean clothes.

Percy and Annabeth were talking to their parents in what looked like a serious conversation.

Leo was talking to Hephaestus, and I could catch the words "Esperanza" and "forge." I guess he was excited about the gift, the way his eyes burned with a dancing fire that he got when he was excited.

My heart didn't want to look, but my eyes betrayed me.

Frank was talking with Ares, and he looked different. He had grown even taller, and his baby fat had melted. Ares was clapping him on the back, and Frank looked happier than I had seen him in a while. My heart squeezed tighter.

When I walked into the throne room, I could feel all eyes on me. Aphrodite looked at me with the saddest expression on her face, as if her heart was getting broken. Conversations stopped, and the Olympians drifted slowly back to their seats.

Zeus, as expected, spoke first. "Now that we have the completed seven with us, we gods have come to a decision."

Poseidon followed. "Since the Greeks and the Romans now know about each other, and there has been no evidence of bloodshed and violence between them, we think it is time for a mix of cultures."

Father continued. "The Greek Camp and the Roman Camp will now mix to form the camp for all Olympian Children. The camps will still stay the same, but a passageway will be built to travel in between the camps and new roman demigods will be welcomed and accepted at the Greek camp, and vice versa. The new gods will be celebrated at a later date, but will stay here for now."

I didn't know how to react about this. Would our worlds go back to normal? I doubted it. I didn't want to go back to the Roman Camp and be an outsider again. If worse came to worse, I would go to the Greek camp, or the underworld. It would be weird being the only roman of the seven who didn't choose immortality, and coming back there.

"You may now talk to you parent, or any other Olympian god." Zeus seemed to like putting the last word in.

I walked to Pluto/Hades. His eyes, as usual, were as intense and black as obsidian.

He rumbled. "I take it you won't go back to the Roman Camp."

I looked down. "No Father, I don't think I will." I kicked my sneakers against the pavement.

"I understand that," He said. He paused, and continued again. "I don't know if you want to go to the Greek camp or even the underworld, I think I might be able to find another option for you. I will Iris message you the details. And when you're ready, your brother wants to see you."

I smiled slightly. "Thank you Father."

I was the only demigod who was done talking to my parent, so I decided to go and wander Olympus. As I turned around, I knocked into a solid chest.

I looked up. Frank's once chocolate eyes, now reddish brown, stared back at me. I took two steps backward, and looked down. My eyes had already started to fill with tears.

"Hazel, can I please talk to you? In private." He noticed the eyes that had slowly drifted towards us. I nodded absently, but my heart was tearing to pieces.

We slowly walked out of the throne room.

"Hazel," he started. "I bet you're wondering why I chose godhood."

I looked at him briefly, and then returned to my shoes. I didn't even want to see his face anymore.

"I wanted a new beginning. My grandmother used to always say, 'One should not expect a new beginning by starting a new chapter; They should start a new book instead.' It didn't make sense to me then, but it makes sense now. I want to start anew, afresh, make something different of myself. Do you understand?"

I could feel anger building up like a shell around my heart. "Why couldn't you do that as a demigod then?"

He looked startled at the tone of my voice, as if he thought I would be overjoyed. "Hazel, the life of a demigod is never easy. We're always on the run, and we never get a break. You know that."

I could feel my voice rising. "We never get a break, that's true. But the war is over. We could have just been happy together, us against the world."

He shifted his feet, and looked absolutely awkward. Hours ago I would have thought that to be cute, but now I thought he had no right.

"I wanted to break up with you for awhile now." He looked away.

My heart was in pieces. I could feel the lump in my throat as I rasped. "Why?"

"I don't feel the same way about you anymore. I think that we aren't really that compatible. Plus, I'm too old for you, Hazel." He looked almost guilty then. He had no right.

"So why not tell me? Why not let me know instead of leading me on to think we still had something and you didn't want to break up?"

"Well, with Nico and everything, you were really sad and off-balanced and depressed, and I didn't want you to be even more upset. Plus, my dad said that it would affect your fighting and-"

The anger had spilled over. "Your dad. Your DAD. You never used to listen or even think abut your father! You thought your dad was Apollo! So since you- no, your_ dad_ thought I wouldn't fight as well because it would make me upset, you wouldn't tell me?! How is that ok?!"

Frank looked irritated. "Hazel, it was in your best interest. And to be quite honest, we were only really together for a little less than 2 months. **(I didn't know how to make a time gauge for this.)**

"You said you wanted to be together forever. What happened to that? Or were you lying?" I knew I made a low blow with that, but I didn't care.

His nostrils flared. "You were already depressed over your brother dying that you didn't want to talk with me, or even train. That's not my fault."

"It's called _Grief_ for a reason, Frank! When you were upset over your mother's death, years after it happened, I was there for you. "

"Nico was nothing except a scary, goth-looking mess, and you know it."

I slapped him. I would have never, ever, _ever_ done this before, but I did. I was shouting now, and tears were streaming down my face.

"I hate you. I hate you so much right now. And I never ever want to see your face again. Take your stupid stick-I threw the stick to the ground- and never speak to me again."

And that's how I left Olympus, with a tear stained face, a lousy coat, and a heart torn in pieces.

**It kills me when my favorite characters die. Or when I kill them off. =/ But I needed to do it for the story to continue. **

**OK! Second chapter completed. I can definetly tell you it will never be this fast….. Even though I'm on summer break I only get so much time at a computer in a day.. it kinda sucks. **

**Either way, Review! Tell me what you think! Tell me what you think will happen! I need 5 reviews before I post the third chapter. **

**Thanks for reading! -Annabeth10269**


	3. A choice leads to adventure

**Hello, all who read this! Annabeth10269 here. **

**Okay, so this chapter would have been done sooner, but I lost my notebook, which I as writing Gem's Choice in, along with all my other writing ideas, poems, short stories….basically everything. **

**Yeah. **

**But after a long search, I found it, and then I started typing this up. **

**Really good news: My dad gave me his old computer to use for my writing, so chapters should either come sooner or be longer. Not too sure yet. **

**ArtemisApollo97- I'm glad you checked out my other story! Thanks. Without your support I don't think I would have continued this story past chapter 1. I was reading Apocalyptic Love and I saw that you put my story at the bottom! I was staring at my computer screen for like…5 minutes in shock. **

**Scenic97-Thank you so much! I don't usually base chapter updates on reviews (tried that with my last story-it didn't work out) so don't worry about it. Hazel is probably my favorite character in the HOO series (besides Nico) and I felt that Hazel was usually a minor character in a lot of fics that I saw, which caused me to make this one day. I won't give out any spoilers on the talk with Nico (even though I want to). Thanks for your support!**

**On with the story!**

_He held out his hand. "You're my sister too. You deserve a second chance. Come with me."_

_I stood up and grabbed his hand. He smiled briefly and said, "Hold on, this is going to feel strange."_

_He started jogging, then running to one of the dark poplar treed in Asphodel fields. I tried to wring my arm free, but he held my hand in a vice-like grip. _

_Before he hit the tree, a shadow passed over us. It was really dark, even darker than before in the fields. I grasped his hand harder. _

_All I could see was darkness, and I could hear the wailing of punished souls and the smell of decay. I started to feel nauseous, like I had too much of Mamas gumbo too quickly. _

"_What is this!?" I shouted over the noise. _

"_Shadow traveling," Nico responded. He sounded far away, but I could hear him perfectly. "Children of Had-Pluto can use this ability to travel through the shadows to a desired location. You might be able to do it later, after you start your training. If you feel nauseous or dizzy, it's normal, since it's your first time. You should get used to it after awhile." _

_Then, light. We were in some sort of record store or music place. The queasiness I was feeling as starting to die down. He said, "This is DOA recording studios, or one of the entrances to the underworld. _

_As I looked closely, I could see wispy figures on the couches, near the counter, banging on the door, and trying to push into the door we just came out of. _

Ghosts.

_Somehow I knew how and when these people died, their names, and how long they had been staying there. Nico tugged me to a man behind the counter, holding an Italian suit catalog and fiddling with a radio that looked like the one my mama had back at our house. _

_Nico turned to the man. "Tell my father I am going to Camp Jupiter." _

_The man looked up and almost did a double take at the sight of us. "Little Master? Little Mistress? Nico, she is not aliv-"_

_Nico took out a sword from nowhere, and said, "Just tell my father where I'm going or else." _

_I took an uneasy step back. The man nodded quickly, and said, "Of course. Have a nice day." _

_Nico started walking towards the exit. Before he stepped out, he said, "Brace yourself," and gave me a look I couldn't decipher. I pushed through the door and got a huge surprise._

_The buildings looked like they touched the sky, and the flashing lights looked so strange. Even the automobiles looked different, faster, and sleeker. Colored people walked freely among white people on the street, and the girls wore britches instead of skirts and some were scantily clad. _

_I must have gasped or made some noise, since Nico smacked his head and said, "I almost forgot! Hazel, try not to think of everything as a whole, try to separate everything you see or don't understand, like a jigsaw puzzle. _

_Doing what he said had helped. He took me to the nearest café and sat me down at one table. Over water and soup, he explained how I was in the Underworld for seventy years and how much the world had changed. He told me I was in Las Vegas, in a state that I had only heard of in the pictures, or movies .He said he was from a different time also, the 20s. _

_It took me a while to digest the information, but I finally asked some questions._

"_So we're both children of Pluto? Are there any other kids?" his eyes darkened. _

"_In the myths, there were plenty of other kids, but the big three-Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto- swore not to have any more kids after world war two. We were born before then, so it doesn't harm us. Pluto had other kids that are infamous in history-Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin- and not well liked. I had one sister, but she died." He looked down at a napkin. I quickly changed the subject. _

"_So there are different openings to the Underworld?" _

_He nodded. "Yes. There are hidden openings all over the country. There's this one here, and one in New York, in Central Park, and a lot in China. There's also one in the Grand Canyon, but don't ask me how to get there." _

_I digested this quickly. "So, are they all guarded by men in suits?" _

_He laughed. "No. If they were all guarded by men like Charon, then the underworld would have chaos. No. Most entrances may have a guardian, but a few of them require a special talent or duty to get in-Singing or instrument playing, knowledge, or even a sacrifice. As children of Pluto, we can get into most openings with no problem except a command, but the special openings go for all demigods or gods who want to enter. Come on, we should get to camp. But first…" _

_We went to a store, and to "Blend in" I got a new outfit, capris and a t-shirt. From there, we shadow traveled to the Caldecott Tunnel and walked into Camp Jupiter. _

Once I got to the lobby, I dashed out, pushing and jostling people to get to the exit. I hadn't gotten the time to marvel at New York City, and I didn't now. I walked as quickly as possible in a random direction, occasionally brushing tears from my face. Street signs blurred in my vision. It didn't matter where I was going, as long as I got away from the Empire State building, the gods, and Frank.

I walked until my feel hurt and my leg had a mark from the _spatha_ hitting it too much. I was going to hold it since the mortals probably wouldn't see it, but I thought against it.

I trudged into the first café I saw, and plopped down. People were eating, typing, reading, or a mixture of all three.

I looked at the clock and did a double take. 9:30. _Oh_ _gods. _

I knew I'd never be able to get around this crazy and huge city and make it back to the Empire State building before it closed. It just wouldn't happen.

I sighed and rested my head on the table. I could have Iris messaged someone, but I had no drachmas in these shorts Aphrodite gave me. All I found were $25 and a small rose scented note that read, "It will all be all right." Somehow, it didn't reassure me.

I racked my brain for what to do next. I didn't know where the Greek camp was, even though it was close. All that Piper, Leo, Percy, and Annabeth said was that it was next to strawberry fields. I had a feeling telling a taxicab driver to drive to the nearest strawberry field wasn't going to get me anywhere.

There was no way to get to the Roman Camp from here, and I didn't have enough money to stay in a motel. I was stuck in this huge city with no place to go. I would have to maybe find a park and-

That's it! I had an idea, which might get me killed, but would give me the chance to kill two birds with one stone.

Now filled with purpose, I went up to the counter and ordered a mango smoothie with a sandwich. As I got my food, I asked the guy behind the counter where Central Park was. He looked at me weirdly, as if thinking I was kidding, and then said, "Central Park is 3 blocks away, to the east. You can't miss it, but it's getting really dark outside."

I thanked him and quickly ate my food. As I was walking out the door, the man shouted, "Wait! Aren't you a little too young to be going to Central Park this late?"

I smiled faintly for the first time that evening, briefly remembering a television show Leo told me about. "Why, yes, yes I am."

As I briskly jogged in the chilly temperature, I was thinking of Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Piper, and Jason. Did they know I was gone? Or did Frank lie to them?

I had reached Central Park, and I searched for some dark hole or rocks that would be the entrance to the Underworld. Most people had cleared out of the park for their homes, so I didn't worry about looking strange while trying to find the underworld entrance. I guess it must have been a perk of being a daughter of Pluto, because I could see perfectly in the dark.

I didn't know what to look for, since nothing looked dark or dangerous, or even abnormal in the mostly empty park.

I was starting to give up, and then I felt a tug. It was like there was a rope around my waist, drawing me to someplace in the park. I took out my _spatha_. Even though I wasn't on Arion, so there would be less damage, it was better than nothing.

I followed the insistent pull to one tree. It was big, and scratched in the middle. I wondered if this was another knack that Father's demigod children had, scoping out underworld entrances.

I remembered what Nico told me, and said in what I hoped was an authoritative voice, "I, Hazel Levesque, command you to open so I can access the Underworld." It sounded stupid to my own ears.

I waited for about two minutes, but there was no movement, and the tree didn't open. I pulled on it, shouted on it, even tried cutting it with my sword, but nothing worked. That's when I heard the muted laughter.

"It's one of the special openings. You have to do something specific to get in, daughter of Pluto."

I spun around, and swung the _spatha. _I heard a shrill shriek pierce the air. "Eeep! Do you want to kill me?"

I kept my weapon at a steady distance and tried to figure out who was talking to me. By the voice, it was obviously a girl. She seemed to be wearing a green and brown dress, with brown hair, hazel eyes, and tinted green skin. As if guessing my thoughts, she said, "I'm a nymph, or a dryad to be more precise. This is my tree, and I take it upon myself to be a guardian of this entrance to Hades. I sense you are a child of the underworld. You can get through, but you need to perform a special ability to get in."

I was frustrated and mentally drained. "What ability?"

She tilted her head. "I'm pretty sure you know."

I was going to roll my eyes at her, but I doubter she could see it. _How can she see me, anyway?_ I thought. I cleared my head of those thoughts and tried to focus on what Nico told me about the entrances.

_a few of them require a special talent or duty to get in-Singing or instrument playing, knowledge, or even a sacrifice._

I said, "I'm sure it's not knowledge, or a sacrifice, so I guess singing?"

She nodded and smiled at me. "Yes. If you had an instrument, or one of those mp3 players, and Ipods, you could get through with that as well. Do you have one?"

Rapidly, I shook my head. Back in the 40's, we had record players. Ipods and mp3 players confused me. I barely knew any songs of this time period, anyway. Piper had tried to get me to listen to a daughter of Apollo named Taylor Swift, but it didn't interest me.

She looked almost impatient when she said, "Do you have a song to sing?"

I snapped out of my wandering thoughts. I didn't think I could sing well, even though Sammy always wanted me to sing to him to 'warm his heart.'

There was one song my mother always sang to me when times started getting hard, when I had just learned about Pluto but Gaia hadn't taken over my mother so Mama was still Mama…

_1940_

_I woke up screaming from another nightmare. _

"_Mama! The big evil man was rising from the ground again!" _

_I hadn't known my dreams were real, and would happen in the future. Mama didn't either. _

_Mama repeated the same lines in a sincere tone, "Hazel, we'll be fine. The big evil man won't get you. I'll protect you." It was only then I noticed the bags around her eyes and the yawns sustained in her voice. _

"_Mama, do we have enough money? Are we alright?"_

_I guessed she noticed I was worrying for her because she quickly stroked my hair, saying softly, "Baby I'm fine, we're fine, it's just a bit hard lately. Nothing I can't handle."_

_I protested. I wanted to help. I hadn't known she was starting to contact evil Mother Earth. "But Mama-" _

_She tucked me in and hushed me. "You should get back to sleep. You have school tomorrow." Then she sang me the lullaby she always sang, with the words I could never remember in the morning because I would fall asleep listening to her melodic voice. _

_Never thought I would _

_Find the words that could _

_Stand up through any weather _

_Something I could say_

_You would hear today_

_But stay with you forever_

_Just when I was losing my faith _

_And I was losing my way _

_It came to me, as clear as day _

_Even if I wake up and find I'm alone_

'_Cause the whole world's turned to stone_

_And my God says 'it's time I take you home'_

_I'll be happy going, knowing that I loved you. _

I wasn't aware that I was crying, until I felt that I was a little out of breath and gasping in sobs. I had sung the song, and the scratched in part of the tree had now caved in and became a gaping hole. I dried my tears on my sleeve.

The nymph had what looked like a flash of sympathy in her eyes, but in a blink it was gone.

She was stepping towards the tree, saying, "Good luck heroine. Beware the monsters. The tree will close behind you." She melted into the trunk.

I took a breath and decided this was the most suicidal, crazy thing a Roman could do. Running low on adrenaline, I leapt into the black hole, and was greeted by the darkness.

**Leo's POV **(Did you expect this?)

Nothing's worse than hearing a pretty girl cry.

But when that pretty girl is Hazel Levesque, it's a whole other ballgame.

We (the seven, or the six, whatever you want to call us) all loved Hazel, and felt bad for her in our own special way. No matter what our problems were before we knew we were demigods, we all knew that spending 70 years in the underworld sucked. But when Nico died, it was increased tenfold.

Hazel lost the one person who could connect with her by being misplaced in time, the one person who knew the awkwardness and the outsider feeling of being Hades' kid, and the one sibling she had ever known.

Hazel wasn't the same. Her golden eyes dimmed, her coffee brown skin seemed paler, and at times she could be standing next to you but be miles away in her memories.

From then on, she had become the little sister of almost half the group: Percy, Annabeth, and Jason. They were always making sure she was eating, training, and sleeping right. They even tried to make sure Frank was treating her right.

They didn't do the best job. Frank became distant to Hazel, and the more she reached out, the more he pulled away. Hazel's tough girl exterior was hidden behind a shell.

Piper, Hazel's best friend in the group, would say sadly, "It's like someone blew out the candle that made Hazel the way she is."

I had tried to cheer her up with jokes, but a death in your family, especially a close one, was hard to get over.

So while Frank did his "I'm-not-gonna-be-supportive" thing, I talked with Hazel, a lot. I told Frank I wasn't going to move in on "his" girl, but I wasn't going to leave her all depressed and alone.

We talked about a lot of things: her life in New Orleans, my life in Texas with my mom, Sammy, and a hundred other things in between. And I learned a lot about her.

I learned how I truly felt comfortable talking to her, and I didn't have to joke around all the time. But I still let a couple of jokes slip into our conversations.

I also learned how much I loved her brief, rare laughs and smiles, the way she fanned herself when I said something stupid, the way she blushed when she got caught saying 40's sayings, the way her eyes reanimated when she talked about horse riding in New Orleans, and how much I hated it when Frank finally decided to show up and she would look at him adoringly.

Yup, I learned a lot.

I denied it for a while, since Hazel could have been my great-grandmother, or the fact that she was with someone, but after a while I was just like, _to hell with it, I think I love this girl. _It was just like me to get a crush on an unattainable girl who would never like me back, but Hazel wasn't just any crush.

The war ended with pretty gruesome results. We won, but so many demigods died we were starting to become an endangered species.

Travis and Conner Stoll, Will Solace, Katie Gardner, Lacy, and a bunch of other people I cared about were gone forever. That was one of the reasons I didn't take the awesomeness of godhood. While 2 of my best friends had accepted, and I as happy for them, I couldn't take it when I knew I wouldn't see my other friends again. Not including the fact that I would be a third wheel for the rest of my immortal life.

My second reason? My mom. If there's even a chance that she's in Elysium (because she deserved it) then when I get to the Underworld I would find her.

The third reason is that I was almost 100% sure that a certain golden eyed, curly haired girl wouldn't accept godhood. And I couldn't be immortal when she wasn't. I thought that Frank would also decline for Hazel too, but he didn't.

Jerk.

When the sound of Frank's acceptance hit my ears I could almost feel my hands catch fire. I looked down to see them start smoking, and I bunched them into fists so no one would notice.

I looked over at Hazel, and I could tell from her face that she was absolutely shattered. Heartbroken. Betrayed. _Destroyed_. Then her eyes rolled back and she was passing out, falling towards the ground at a rapid pace.

I ran-no,_sprinted_- as hard as I could to get to her. At that moment my adrenaline was so high that no child of Nike could be on my level. And I was so close to catching her. Her head hit the ground, and I could hear her groan in her unconsciousness.

"She needs help!" I screamed. She was breathing slightly, but her body was limp and lifeless. Apollo materialized next to me and took her out of my arms. Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and even Frank looked at me in complete shock. Hades peered at me like I was an interesting specimen, while Dad stroked his beard and made an engine in 20 seconds flat. Piper's mom (after she brushed her tears away) clapped her hands and winked at me.

Typical Olympians.

Apollo flashed away with Hazel before I could ask to come along. We all stood for a second before Zeus coughed awkwardly and said, "Until Ms. Levesque is fine and well, we will stay here. We have news for the new gods and demigods."

_New gods._ I almost forgot. My best friends had just become gods. I tried to put a smile on my face as I walked up to Piper and Jason, saying, "Congrats to the married godly couple! Are you guys going by Mr. and Mrs. Sparky now?" It was one of those moments where I couldn't crack a good joke to save my life. I wanted to see how Hazel was doing.

Piper and Jason looked at me funny, before saying simultaneously, "Leo, are you ok?"

I tried to grin and say that I was as ok as I had always been, but I couldn't. I knew I was acting differently than the usual class clown I was supposed to be, so the truth came out. "Honestly? No. I'll talk to you guys later, I wanna talk to Dad." I spun on my heel and ambled away before they could say anything else.

I could see how Piper and Jason had changed, just like all of us had changed. Jason was tenser than his usual Roman self, Piper looked permanently tired, and they both clung to each other a lot tighter, just like all the couples in the seven did.

Except Frank and Hazel.

I shook those thoughts out of my head and went over to my dad. In the time between Hazel passing out and me talking to Pipes and Jason, he had made the engine turbo powered and was fueling a flying toy car.

He was attaching some wires, and without looking up, said, "I guess you're more of an organic life form than I thought."

The best answer I could come up with was, "Huh?" He looked up this time.

"I told you about the dangers of love, correct? I see my wife has sunk her claws in you. That's why you didn't take godhood." He replied matter-of-factly.

His wife-Aphrodite, Piper's mom. But if Pipes' mom and my dad were married, would we be step-siblings? We wouldn't be sharing any DNA, since gods have no DNA, but it's weird thinking that you could be dating your step-sibling, like my big bro Beckendorf and Silena Beauregard that I was always hearing about at CHB. Did they ever think they were step-siblings or did they not-

I shook my head and tried to sort out my scrambled, frazzled ADHD brain. I tried to remember what I was talking about with my dad. My ears were about to catch fire when I said, "I guess so. I don't really know?"

He stroked his beard, unknowing of the embers that were burning away his hair. "The forge was built for a god, but I'm sure it will work the same for you as a demigod. I know you feel bad about Esperanza, but it wasn't your fault. And I'm sure she would love that you would carry up a shop/forge where she worked."

If my eyes were getting a little moist, it was because I was tired. We talked more about the forge, and after a while, Aphrodite told us we could use the Olympian bathrooms to take showers, which we happily agreed to. It was weird, since it was a row of huge bathrooms in one hall. I didn't argue as I took a random room and got rid of all the dirt on me. Somehow, as I came out there were a pair of black jeans and a red T-shirt waiting for me. I shrugged them on and headed back to the Throne room.

As I started walking back, I could feel Annabeth and Percy's eyes on me. After a while, it got a little unnerving, so I turned around and said, "Is there a kick me sign on my back?"

They didn't laugh, even though Percy cracked the beginnings of his lopsided smile. I was used to that, though. The war ended and so did a lot of humor. Even Percy, who I usually joked with, was more quiet and withdrawn when he got out of Tartarus with Annabeth. But that's to be expected, since who would still be happy-go-lucky after going to hell and back, literally?

Percy's mouth was moving, but I was too distracted to hear what he was saying. "Sorry, I spaced out. What were you saying?"

Annabeth shook her head amusedly. "Same old Leo. But Percy and I were worried about you; you seemed different in the Throne room."

I was getting a little exasperated. "Why does everyone keep saying that? I'm fine."

Percy tiled his head. "Okay, it's just when Hazel fell you went all psycho maniac to the point where you were yelling at gods, which takes a lot of guts. You also seemed really serious-"

"Which isn't at all like you," Annabeth finished. It was kinda creepy when a girl and boy knew each other so well that they could finish each other's sentences. But that's Percy and Annabeth for you.

"I'm fine, it's just that Hazel was hurt and I wanted to help." Biggest understatement of the century. It's more like, _Hazel was heartbroken and hurt and since I'm nearly in love with her I had to help._

Annabeth stared at me for a second, and her intimidating calculating grey eyes scanned my soul. After that weird moment, she said, "Hazel is going to be fine, Leo. I promise. Let's go back to the throne room and congratulate the new gods, Percy."

I guess she thought I needed space or something, because she started walking ahead with the Son of Poseidon. I made my way to the throne Room, hoping that Hazel was there already.

She wasn't. Instead, I shot daggers at Franks back and talked to my dad a little bit more on the details of the forge. I never wanted to _hit_ someone so bad. But the fact that he was a god and his dad, the _war_ god was next to him.

How could a guy like that get a girl like Hazel and even _think _of giving her up? Screw him being a god, I was going to kick his ass anyway.

It was then that Hazel showed up.

She looked a little unsteady, and more that a little uncomfortable in her new outfit. I was the first to notice her. Hazel's golden eyes took in the room warily. She was wearing a black gem t-shirt, jean shorts, and her sneakers. Her _spatha_ came down to her calf in its sheath. Her hair was down to her shoulders and curly as always.

She was perfect.

Hazel shifted from foot to foot as we all looked at her. After a long intense moment, Zeus spoke up with the help of his brothers.

They were merging the camps, or letting the Romans and Greeks interact freely (I don't even know what they were saying, I sort've spaced out).That was good; since we could get to know our Roman siblings better (those Vulcan kids had awesome inventions). I had an awful feeling that I would see Piper and Jason as much as I do now, which would really suck since we just went through a war together, and they were the closest friends I had.

Zeus let us talk to our parents, or any other Olympians before we left. I didn't have anything to say to the other major gods. I was going to talk to Hazel, but her dad (Pluto or Hades or whatever he was going by) was talking to her so I stood around and tried not to set myself or anything else on fire as I saw Frank walking over the underworld father daughter duo.

I intercepted Frank before he could reach Hazel. If he was tall before, he was a giant now, being almost a head and a half taller than me. His eyes looked like they contained fire, and he seemed almost impatient as he watched the two talk. His looked down at me as if I was a bug.

"Dude," I started, "I need to talk to Hazel next."

Frank narrowed his eyes at me. "Valdez, now really isn't the time. I need to talk to Hazel about some…decisions…we need to go over."

I was getting angry now, and I could feel my skin get hotter. "Frank, you decided to choose godhood over her. What else do you have to discuss?" If Frank's aura before was impatient, now he was _downright pissed . _

"I don't have to explain anything to you. Anyway, since I'm a god now, you have to listen to what I say." His auburn eyes flared red for emphasis.

I bunched my fists. "You're going to use that godly crap on me now? Dude, you should have seen the look on Hazel's face when you said yes. What in the gods' names were you thinking?"

This time, he shoved me and said, "I don't have the patience to listen to you go on about _my girlfriend_ to you Leo. I don't know what your problem is anyway." He briskly walked towards Hazel and when she turned around, she had a deer in the headlights look. Frank grumbled some words to her, probably to talk in private, and she nodded before reluctantly leaving.

I stared after her, hoping she would run back into the throne room, but she walked away with Frank. I could see Annabeth and Percy glaring at Frank's back like I was. Piper and Jason were busy discussing with Zeus and Aphrodite.

Percabeth walked over to me. "I can see your problem now Leo, Frank is being a _jerk_." Annabeth's eyes flashed like thunder crackling out of storm clouds." Percy looked a bit conflicted, but nodded.

I looked at the Throne Room doors that Hazel had just stepped out of moments earlier. "I hope Hazel is okay."

We were silent for a little bit, but tried to talk about different topics than what was probably on all our minds: What was going on outside those doors?

I was getting antsy after a while, since it had been 15 minutes and Hazel was still gone. Annabeth was twisting one of her curls, and Percy was fiddling with Riptide in his pocket. I'm pretty sure that all of us wanted to charge out there and see what was going on. Was Hazel alright?

We got our answer from Frank, who came through the doors and scrubbed his face tiredly.

"Hazel's gone," He murmured.

**Okay! This was longer than any chapter I have ever written, by like, 3,000 words. **

**More than one flashback, and a huge one at the beginning. And the whole story won't always be in Hazel's perspective. This was a pretty long filler, also. **

**Leo Valdez….one of my favorite characters in the books….he plays a very important part of this story. You'll be hearing a lot from him. Like I said, the first few chapters would be OOC… because times are hard. **

**A new pairing idea was added in this chapter…yup. It's part of my OOC Leo Valdez. **

**Do I like this chapter? Sorta, kinda. I added some new writing techniques in this, so I'm not sure how it will go. **

**But tell me how you feel about it. Do you like it? Hate it? Think something could be better? I accept constructive criticism, it helps me get better. **

**I'm not leaving a review for update threat (because I realize they're stupid.) **

**The next chapter should be up soon! **

**See ya!-Annabeth10269**


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